Ratatouille

Pixar released “Ratatouille” released in 2007. It is a lovely tale about a rat who becomes a gourmet chef in a restaurant in the lovely city of Paris, despite his family’s wishes and the obvious problem of being a rat in a decidedly rodent-phobic profession. He learns the truth about friendship, family and having no choice but to be who he really is, a rat who wants to be a chef. I felt the need to discuss this film as I really felt it represented some form of self-esteem in the viewer. The main theme which I got from it was the idea that your background doesn’t determine your potential in life. Ideally speaking – meaning you can do anything in life! Talent is something that should be celebrated in life, this idea is portrayed vividly throughout the course of this beautifully animated film.

The Incredibles

The Incredibles main theme, in my opinion, is that we should all value the talents that we have been given, rather than hide them from the world. This is represented through a family of superheroes, who have been forced into hiding because of lawsuits and other reasons. A wicked plot to create a world where everyone has powers and no one is special eventually gives the whole family an opportunity to use their gifts for the greater good. It shows children and adults alike that everyone is unique and talented in their own way, and these talents should be shown to the world and not kept in hiding.

Another aspect I analysed in The Incredibles was character of Violet. For me she represented that fitting in can often be overrated. Violet went to school and hid behind her hair and invisibility powers because society made her believe her gifts were curses. This, for me, really portrays the pressures in society in which people feel today. Violet then came out of herself when her family needed saving and as soon as she started accepting who she was, everything started improving for her.

To conclude, this is a very inspiring film by Pixar, which instills a solid value in children and adults.

What themes interest me?

From my research, I have found some wonderful themes and underlying messages in a variety of different childrens books. Some interest me more than others, some inspire more than others! The main theme/ message that I like so far is that of self-confidence/ self-esteem and being happy in yourself. I like the idea of not bluntly involving this theme in my story, but that it is known to the reader. I think this is a topic that is broad and a lot can be done with it. Narrowing down a section will be tricky. I feel passionate about this theme as I feel it is essential to instil self-confidence and happiness in children from a young age in a world that is changing at a rapid pace.

Of course, I am not limiting myself to one theme right now. I have other ones in mind also. I am interested in the theme of friendship and loyalty although this has been done quite a lot. I also am interested in the theme of motivation, emphasising how a child can put their mind to something if they work at it.

The Dot

Focusing on my theme of Self esteem and confidence, I came across a story called The Dot.

“With a simple funny story and free-spirited illustrations, Peter H. Reynolds entices even the stubbornly uncreative among us to make a mark – and follow where it takes us.”

It all basically follows a childs teacher saying “Just make a mark and see where it takes you.”

Art class is over, but Vashti is sitting glued to her chair in front of a blank piece of paper. The words of her teacher are an invitation to express herself. But Vashti can’t draw well. To prove her point, Vashti jabs at a blank sheet of paper to make an unremarkable and angry mark. “There!” she says.

That one little dot marks the beginning of Vashti’s journey of surprise and self-discovery. That special moment is the core of Peter H. Reynolds’s delicate fable about the creative spirit in all of us.

It is a lovely story that focuses on our inner spirit and beauty. I was really inspired by the story, and absolutely loved the illustrations which were so different to what I’ve seen in my research!! (See below)

          

The BFG

The BFG or Big Friendly Giant is a children’s story written by the amazing author Roald Dahl. In it, the BFG befriends a little girl called Sophie, and together they defeat a group of evil giants who enjoy eating children.

There are two main underlining themes that I seen develop throughout the narrative:

• The first is personified by the bond between the two main characters, the BFG and Sophie.

The two make an unlikely pair because their outward appearances are so different, but the story goes to show that it really doesn’t matter what you look like -, you’ll be judged on what you do and who you are instead!

• A second theme would be the giant’s decision to carry out good acts rather than to follow the path expected of him.

In the story, there are ten other giants who eat children and are responsible for giving people nightmares while they sleep.

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This influences me majorly, as I feel I am pushing towards using the theme of self confidence in my story. It is an issue that I feel should be introduced to children at a young age with todays pressurising society and all that comes with it. So i feel that taking a look back at the BFG (first time since my childhood!) was very beneficial to me.

Charlottes Web

E.B. White’s beloved children’s tale is about a young farm pig called Wilbur, who is hoping to avoid death. Wilburs loyal sidekick is called Charlotte, a thoughtful spider who devises an intriguing plan to keep the pig out of the slaughterhouse.

This book, which is aimed for those aged 7+, contains various different themes throughout. I feel that the theme of friendship and loyalty reign supreme, which are very important to teach children the importance of.

Friendship
You can find several places in the book with examples of what a real friend, or true friend, is. Here are some of the examples of this theme that I came across in the novel:
Charlotte works very hard to save Wilbur’s life!! She comes up with new words for her web to describe Wilbur. She talks to him when he’s sad at the beginning of the book and never asks for anything in return. She helps Wilbur because she thinks of him as a friend.
Wilbur takes care of Charlotte’s babies after she dies. He wants to help Charlotte even though she is no longer here to help him. This is another example of true friendship.

Loyalty

Loyalty goes hand-in-hand with the theme of friendship in the novel. This can be seen when Fern and Charlotte are both very loyal to Wilbur. They work hard to save him from slaughter because they love him, especially Charolotte. Even when she’s tired or near the end of her life, she is still thinking of how to help Wilbur.

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Sometimes, children have trouble understanding what a good friend is. This theme can help children in their own lives!

Themes and Hidden Values in Childrens Stories

Stories have extraordinary power with most children. They bring a world of imagination to a child and draw a colourful picture with many interesting characters within. Telling stories will make the world of stories become lively and vivid.

From seeking different sources of inspiration over the last week, I have come across a lot of themes that are commonly used in stories aimed for children of a young age, such as feeling sad, moving house, a new baby in the family, going on holidays etc.

I have come to the conclusion that revisiting children’s books in adulthood can yield all sorts of weird and wonderful subtexts, some being more obvious than others! For children of a slightly older age, there can be a whole new spectrum of themes and values instilled in a children’s story that we deal with as adults as well, such as jealousy, bullying, self-confidence, dealing with emotions. They are addressed differently in the various stories I have both discovered and revisited from childhood.

In the next several blog posts, I will go into more detail on examples of values hidden in the world of children’s stories as well as the ages I found these themes to be applied.